asia

It was still dark. The alam clock read 4:30AM. Having just arrived in Bangkok the night before from a roadtrip down to Udon Thani from Laos, my mind was still in a murky haze. My companions sleeping in the other bed seemed oblivious to the loud ringing sound emanating from my phone. This was the day we’re flying to Bhutan – the country famously isolated by the Himalayas, where Gross National Happiness is prioritized over economic growth and where the king famously abdicated voluntarily in order to initiate a move to a constitutional monarchy. We were all trying to catch an early morning flight to Paro – Bhutan’s only airport, aboard DrukAir, the only airlines that flies to Bhutan.

checked in at 5:30AM in the morning

Having been to several flights the days prior, my plan was just to go to sleep as the plane cruised its way past Burma, India and into Bhutan. But alas, the pilot made an announcement about Kangchenjunga (3rd highest mountain), and then Mt Everest being visible at the left side of the plane. I opened the window and there they were – a few snow-capped peaks towering above the clouds. It also meant that our approach at Paro Airport was coming soon. The plane descent into Bhutan that came fifteen minutes later has got to be the best plane landing ever – with the plane making 2 or 3 sharp turns during the final descent, evading mountains 5,000m above sea level across all directions and which are only a few meters away. Paro Airport is also one of the most scenic airports in the world, being in the middle of a relatively narrow valley in Western Bhutan….

Taiwan has got to be the most underrated tourist destination in the Far East. Mention the word “Taiwan” and most people would associate it with electronics, heavy industry and China’s “renegade province” rather than as a holiday destination. Rarely do I find it in most travelers’ Asian itineraries. And rarely is it mentioned by travel publications, except for scattered and brief features here and there. It may not have any jaw-dropping monuments or renowned white sand beaches like its other neighbors, but Taiwan offers a unique experience for those who are willing to take a closer look.

I have been to Taiwan 4 times. The longest I’ve stayed was the 6 weeks I spent some 11 years ago when I took a short course in Mandarin. Despite the multiple visits, frequent overcast weather and (slight) language barrier, I never tire of visiting the island. Taiwan is one of those feel-good places that I always feel like checking out once every few years.

For this visit, I decided to try out their farmstay which has been heavily promoted here in Singapore. Since the farm was high up in the mountains, I booked our transport in advance. 7AM was our departure time from Taipei Main Station. It was a 4.5 hour bus ride through some spectacular scenery through Taiwan’s central highlands. We reached Cingjing Farm just before noon, and the sun was shining just as I had hoped.

From the bus stop, it was a 4 kilometer trek to the farm’s main area. By this time, we were already some 1,800 meters above sea level. After 1 kilometer of walking through some steep trails, we gave up. I then decided to put my thumb to work and hitchhike instead. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for someone to actually stop. We reached the sheep grazing grasslands just a few minutes before the sun disappeared into the clouds and a fog came by in its place.

panorama of Cingjing grasslands

The scenery in this area was just spectacular. The grass was greener than I though it would be, and the visibility was still somewhat okay at this point. The mountains are situated just in front of the grasslands’ dramatic terrain, and it made for a great contrast.sheep grazingMost people come to Cingjing Farm to experience a taste of the New Zealand-type of farmstay. It’s a great change of pace, especially for most busy city folk who never get to experience life as such….

We left Rangoon for an early morning flight to Nyaung-U, the gateway to the ancient city of Bagan. Having been to both Angkor in Cambodia and Borobudur in Indonesia, I wanted to see with my own eyes how this much-raved about archeological zone compared with the other two.

ladies catching up on the morning gossip

Our flight from Rangoon departed very early in the morning. For the journey, we were brought to the domestic airport which in all honesty, looked like a dilapidating monstrosity. As I had requested to avoid government-run joints, the travel agency arranged for me to take Yangon Airways, a small outfit consisting of just 2 planes. Conditions were better than I expected, and we were actually served snacks during the flight. I was fortunate enough to get a window seat. As we were landing in Nyaung-U, the pilot was quick enough to point out the swathes of temples scattered beneath us. We were finally in Bagan!

bagan!

I had arranged for a car to take us around the different temples in the huge archeological zone. Many of these were haphazardly restored by local authorities without supervision from UNESCO so it was left out from the World Heritage List. Otherwise, I believe Bagan rightfully deserves the title.

one can find buddhist frescoes inside some of the old stupas

postcard sellers in bagan

We spent two days exploring many of the main temples as well some of the minor ones in Bagan, as recommended by my trusty guidebook. Midway in the journey, I realized that it would be unfair to compare Bagan with Angkor or Borobudur as they are all different from each other. For Bagan, the highlight would definitely be the scenery. Many of the large temples are open for climbing, and the view from the top is definitely breathtaking especially during sunrise and sunset. The silhouette of the pagodas in the distance contrasted against the yellow sun is definitely a highlight of any trip to Burma.

this ain’t no painting

shwesandaw paya – offers a good sunset view so come here before the crowds do!

Like Angkor and Borobudur, souvenir vendors were standing by at every major temple. Although not as pushy as their Cambodian or Indonesian counterparts, the vendors in Burma would actually strike conversations with tourists (with the intention of making a sale of course) and follow them inside. This proved to be an annoyance, although the locals just take it all in good humor.

shwezigon paya

The next day, we ventured into Mt. Popa – an extinct volcanic crater with a temple at the peak. Considered to be the center for the 37 nats (spirits), the climb to the top consisted of 700+ steps amid Macaque monkeys competing for space with humans. The 25 minute climb was by no means easy but the view from the top was certainly spectacular. In the afternoon, we went back to Bagan and I rented a bike for an hour just to try it out. For the rest of the afternoon, we visited more temples. My personal favorite’s Sulamani Pahto, with its impressive frescoes inside depicting the Buddha.

mount popa — the “extinct” crater

the actual mount popa

in sulamani pahto

a good view

We ended our second day in Bagan watching the sunset again, this time from a different viewpoint. The colors were again magnificent, and the crowd of photographers seemed even bigger this time. I came to realize that spending my Christmas holiday here was a very good decision after all.

The second largest country in Southeast Asia, Burma (Myanmar) is not a place where people normally spend their Christmas and New Year holidays (that is, unless you’re Burmese). Many people have no idea about the majestic sights found in this isolated country, despite its proximity to Singapore or to my home country. Because of Burma’s relative isolation and calls for tourism boycotts, the country only gets about 500,000 tourists a year – a trickle compared to neighboring Thailand. This time, I was again bombarded with questions by friends on why I was going and whether there was “anything noteworthy to see there.”

mother and child – on the streets of rangoon

As Burma was in my Top 3 countries to visit, I decided to finally push through with this trip last month. I had arranged with a travel agency based in Burma for domestic plane tickets and accommodations as it was cheaper that way. After months of going back and forth on plane schedules and suitable places to stay, we finally landed in Rangoon (Yangon) on a misty morning during Christmas Day. The first thing I noticed as we exited the airport was how most men wore skirts. Burma has been relatively isolated since it gained independence from Britain in 1948 so the people still maintain their traditions. The skirt is called longyi and it’s actually a versatile form of dress worn by both men and women. The second thing I noticed was how green Rangoon was compared to many other Southeast Asian cities. The roads are tree-lined, and there are many parks dotted around the city. In Downtown Rangoon, the streets are also laid out on a grid so it’s easier to find your way around.

strand hotel – the poshest in burma (myanmar)

a trip to rangoon is like a trip back in time – many colonial buildings remain intact such as this one

Although home to about 5 million people, Rangoon itself does not feel like a big city. The pace is quite relaxed and there’s not a lot of cars on the roads. Neon lights are a rarity here. The trade embargoes are very much evident with the lack of international brand names – for some reason though, Bossini is very popular in Rangoon. Most cars are disheveled and are literally falling apart. The taxis consist of outdated models such as Isuzu Gemini and Toyota Corolla from the late 70’s to the early 80’s. Needless to say, there’s no airconditioning. It’s practically a miracle how they manage to run these contraptions after several decades of use.

shwedagon paya is considered to be one of the most sacred sites in burma

That day happened to be Christmas Day so most shops were closed. We started the day by having a walking tour of downtown Rangoon, which still has a lot of buildings dating from British colonial rule. This include the Strand Hotel, which is Rangoon’s version of Singapore’s Raffles Hotel or Manila’s eponymous hotel. In the afternoon, we visited the Chaukhtatgyi Paya with its famous reclining buddha as well as the main attraction – the Shwedagon Paya. It was truly an amazing sight, and I was at awe with the gold-encrusted main pagoda that stood out even from a distance. The place was packed with tourists and locals alike, and it was a great way to just people-watch. It was a hodgepodge of human activity. In one corner there would be people praying and bowing their heads to the Buddha while in another, a group of German tourists would be taking snapshots of the fine architecture. Shwedagon was a relatively big complex so we spent some time circling it – there were several other altars and mini-temples with dozens of Buddhist images. There were a couple of notable banyan trees near the edges that were supposedly transplanted from the place in India where Buddha gained enlightenment. Gold was the prominent color and it was evident in almost every structure that made up the massive complex.

the majestic shwedagon paya

We had dinner at this Chinese restaurant owned by a Singaporean. The owner told us how he ended up starting a business in Burma – because it was extremely competitive in Singapore and it was difficult to make money there. What he said was true in a sense – this is why most Singaporeans end up in the corporate world rather than set up their own businesses. Those who do set up their own gig find themselves facing head-to-head competition, especially in the food and beverage industry. But I digress. Moving back to Rangoon.

rangoon city hall – with a fresh coat of paint!

The next day was spent walking around Downtown Yangon. We started at the Strand Hotel, a fine colonial building that’s reminiscent of Singapore’s Raffles Hotel. We walked towards Sule Paya, an attractive Buddhist pagoda right smack at a roundabout. This walking tour ended at Bogyoke Aung San Market, where all sorts of handicrafts and Burmese souvenirs were sold. There wasn’t anything we particularly liked, although shops selling rubies, diamonds and other precious and semi-precious stones were in abundance. We also found this market to be a good place to change Kyats (Burma’s local currency).

rangoon during rush hour

We had nothing to do that afternoon so we decided to visit the Gems Museum. Among the things they had for display was a sapphire measuring several hundred carats, rubies, emeralds, diamonds and all sorts of treasures that attested to Burma’s wealth in natural resources. Interestingly, the display was also a sad reminder of how a country can at once be rich and extremely poor.

Looking back, the 2 days we spent in Rangoon was excessive. One full day should have been enough, and the extra day could have been better spent elsewhere in the country. But it was a great introduction to Burma nonetheless.

How to get there: Most popular method is to go through Bangkok where Thai Airways and Air Asia have direct flights to Yangon. An alternative is to go through Singapore where Jetstar Asia and Silkair fly to Yangon.

Best time to visit: December and January are supposed to be the most pleasant months to visit Burma. In Yangon however, we found the heat to be unbearable from noon up until 4pm. Temperatures vary considerably within the day. Normal morning temperatures in December average at a cool 16 to 18 degrees celsius, while afternoon temperatures reach 32 to 35 degrees celsius.

I woke up early on my second day in East Timor and said goodbye to Stefanie as I planned to catch the bus to Baucau, the country’s second largest town. Some people had warned me against taking their public transportation, suggesting that it was extremely uncomfortable. But as I was traveling alone, I had no other choice if I wanted to go outside of Dili.

at cape fatucama, in dili

I had the taxi driver drop me off at Becora, where buses to Baucau departed from. It was a dusty station located in a ramshackled part of town (I later came to realize that many of the city’s roads away from the center are nothing more than dirt tracks). I got there just in time as the bus, already filled up, was just about to depart. All the warnings about East Timor’s buses turned out to be true as passengers were stuffed like sardines inside the vehicle. I was seated in between a nun and a farmer, and could barely move. The rickety bus had no aircon and no other amenities aside from the speakers that blared loud, reggae-type Timorese music. Some passengers opted to stand the whole journey (3.5 hours) to pay half-fare while others stood by the (open) door, their hands clenched to the outside handles in the same way they do it with jeepneys in Manila. It was pretty remarkable they could handle it for three straight hours without ultimately falling into the roadside.

tour de timor mural at mercado municipal ruins

The bus had obviously seen better days, and it must have broken down ten times during our journey. For all its shortcomings, the ride included a lot of scenic views of jagged hills falling into the blue sea, rice fields and pastel-colored churches. We passed by several beaches that were more impressive than the ones in Dili, and it’s a shame I didn’t get the chance to stop by.

my bus to baucau… packed like sardines

One of the few passengers who could speak English chatted me up. A native of Mt. Matebian (East Timor’s 2nd highest peak), Atheno was taking a few courses in Dili. He also told me about his student days in Yogyakarta, Indonesia where he previously received a scholarship. He was a nice fellow, and offered to show me around Baucau when we landed. The bus dropped us off at Baucau’s new town, which is a drab area with no points of interest. We had to take a mikrolet (small bus) to the old town, where many interesting sights were located.

at the pousada de baucau, the town’s “poshest” hotel

I made sure to stop by the Mercado Municipal ruins – a fine example of colonial Portuguese architecture, Pousada de Baucau – said to be the most charming place to stay in East Timor as well as the natural spring located near the town center. I had lunch at Restaurante Amalia, probably the only place resembling an eatery in Baucau. After the meal, I parted ways with Atheno- he was going off to Matebian – and I was left alone in that strange town. I had planned to go to Osolata, a fine white sand beach 6km north of the town, but mikrolets were no longer running by that time in the afternoon so I just wandered a bit around Baucau. I had no idea where I was going to stay for the night. For $60, I found the Pousada to be above my budget. I managed to find a place to stay for $30 – still above my budget but it was the cheapest place I could find. The Albegaria Planalto was a simple 8-room hotel at the edge of a plateau and owned by a bishop. When I “checked-in,” I found out there only 2 other guests (both UN workers). I was the only tourist. The manager, Albert, was an amiable fellow. I rode his motorcycle that evening when I went back to Amalia in old town for dinner. It was a wonderful experience traversing Baucau’s zigzagged roads with the cool sea breeze.

staring at the sun in Baucau

The next morning I took off for Dili, onboard the dreaded bus again. This time it was worse. People freely smoked inside the vehicles and it was suffocating. The bus was once again packed like sardines, and to top it all off, a live pig was tied to the roof, squealing and shaking the whole time. I was so relieved when we reached Dili and I asked the driver to drop me off at Caicoli, near the city center. This time, I decided to stay somewhere better and checked in at Hotel Oriental. For $40 a night, I got an airconditioned room with TV but it was still way behind western standards as it did not even come with a toilet and the room only looked half-cleaned. I stopped at a nearby warung (Indonesian cafeteria) for a filling Padang-style lunch for only $2 and ventured to see the other parts of Dili after that.

the xanana gusmao reading room in lecidere

I visited the tais market, where they had local souveniers for sale. I also walked all the way to Lecidere, where the Xanana Gusmao Reading Room as well as Nobel Prize winner Bishop Belo’s residence are located. From there, I grabbed a cab to Areia Branca beach, about 8 minutes drive. Despite its proximity to the city center, the area was still relatively underdeveloped. A few beachside bars and huts were available and I was so relieved to see that it wasn’t over commercialized.

woman weaving tais

It was there that I chanced upon this nice Filipino family who were swimming by the beach. I knew because I heard them talking in Tagalog. We exchanged hellos and before I knew it, I was asked to join them. They were from Couples from Christ and they clued me in on the local situation. It surprised me to learn that there was a large Filipino community in East Timor. I was told that Dili had several Filipino restaurants (even beating Singapore). Since I was leaving the next day, they even gave me an impromptu despedida (farewell party) right by the beach. I couldn’t have felt more at home.

at areia branca beach

I didn’t do much the next day as I was flying back to Bali that afternoon. Before leaving for the airport, I dropped by Arte Moris – an art gallery featuring works by local Timorese artists. The art mostly revolved around similar themes – agriculture, rural life and crocodiles (highly respected in Timorese culture). Arte Moris also doubles as a residence for these talented group of people, and one of them showed me around their studios within the many buildings inside. After this, I was off to the airport once again for my flight out of the country, leaving the dusty streets of Dili for now.

artist at work in arte moris

arte moris

All in all, I could say it was a unique trip. I wasn’t so much enamored by any scenery or historic building as I was with the warm people of East Timor. I believe the country is greatly misunderstood and deserves a visit by travelers doing the Southeast Asian trail. Although it does not offer luxury or comfort, it presents something different – and that is the discovery of a proud culture untainted by kitsch or mass tourism.

More than a week ago, I took a spur of the moment trip to East Timor. This 10-year old country is probably the least known in Southeast Asia, and everyone – from the manager of the hostel during my transit in Bali to other travelers I met in Indonesia who didn’t even know there was such a country – couldn’t help but wonder why I wanted to go there. East Timor has never been in my priority list of destinations, and until a few months ago, I didn’t even think I would go there. Last July, I hatched up a personal goal to visit each of the 11 countries in Southeast Asia and it was for this strange, if not childish reason that I went.

map showing East Timor’s location

Although I am not particularly proud of the reason why I went or the timing in which I made my journey, I am glad that I did visit this relatively isolated, often misconstrued country that only gets 19,000 tourists per year. East Timor may be extremely impoverished, war torn and lacking in tourist infrastructure, but I can say that those who visit are ultimately rewarded with the nation’s natural and relatively unspoiled beauty, warm and friendly people as well as cultural variety.

the magnificent view from the Jesus Christ statue

I booked my ticket to Dili, East Timor’s capital upon landing in Bali Airport. East Timor has air links with just 3 destinations (the others are Singapore and Darwin) and flying through Bali is the cheapest option. I found that it is usually okay to buy tickets on short notice except for weekends when NGO workers in East Timor may decide to fly to Bali for leisure trips. Before boarding, I met this Filipino guy who was flying to do some rural development consulting in East Timor. He gave me his contact details and asked for mine just in case I got affected by possible instability – but he was quick to add that East Timor was generally safe despite its bad reputation. The flight to Dili from Bali took about 1.5 hours and was largely uneventful except for some nice views of Indonesia’s volcanic islands along the way.

on the way to cristo rei…

As the plane was making its descent, the brown rolling hills of East Timor’s northern coast came into view. Before I knew it, the plane landed at Dili’s Nicolau Lobato Airport. The airport looked very similar to other airports except that the security presence was very much evident. Helicopters and other small planes carrying the UN logo were parked aplenty at the runway, and policemen from all over the world (Philippines included) scrutinized us as we made our way to the arrival hall.

Cristo Rei, Dili

I took a taxi upon exiting the airport and went straight to East Timor Backpackers Guesthouse, reputed to be the only backpacker accommodation in the country. The taxi ride on the way was a testament to the laidback and carefree culture of the country, as the taxi driver stopped midway to pick up his friends who were traversing in the same direction. I thought at first that I was getting mugged right then and there in my first taxi ride in Dili but I later realized that it was just a normal part of day-t0-day life in Timor.

a rotunda in dili

The rooms and bathrooms at the backpackers place were on a sharing basis – all I got was a bed. At US$12, I thought it was pricey but then most things in East Timor are expensive anyway. I literally just dropped my bags and went straight to Cristo Rei, said to be the second largest Jesus statue in the world after Rio’s and probably the most recognizable landmark in East Timor. The statue was perched high on a hill, but the climb was not so bad and I passed several stations of the cross along the way. Just before making my last climb, one of the construction workers in the site called me and indicated that he was going to climb with me. We chatted a bit and I later learned that he was earning $4 a day carrying bricks back and forth to the hill top as they were renovating the site. I reached the summit in no time and found the statue freshly painted. The construction worker revealed that China was shouldering the costs, and there was indeed a Chinese guy surveying the base. The view from the top was magnificent – I could see a beach with clear blue waters to the east and west, as well as towering mountains in the center.

examples of colonial architecture – the university in dili (top) and the palacio do governo (bottom)

Going down from Cristo Rei, I went to Dili’s downtown. For all the city’s shortcomings, it does have a charming waterfront. The water was clear and there was a beach just a few minutes away from the main square. Dili has several notable buildings with obvious Portuguese influences such as the Palacio do Governo (Government House) and Casa Europa. A lot of foreigners, mostly aid workers from the UN and other NGO’s, prowl the streets of Dili. That may be true but the locals couldn’t help but stare at me, with a camera-strapped-around-my-neck look that screamed tourist. Despite this, nobody did try to con me or solicit something from me, which is a welcome departure from my experiences in other more touristy countries. In fact, I found the locals to be pretty honest. I unknowingly dropped my camera case once and someone nearby alerted me of the mishap.

colonial building in dili

After making the rounds in Dili’s center, I went to an Indian restaurant beside the guesthouse for dinner. It was already the cheapest place I could find at that time but it still cost me $4.50. After dinner, I called in an early night and went back to the guesthouse. During that night, there were only 2 other guests – a German girl named Stefanie and an Indonesian man. I chatted up quite a bit with the former, whose bed was just beside mine. Apparently, she’s done the whole bit around Nusa Tenggara – starting with Bali, then to Lombok, Flores and West Timor. Although she admitted that the other islands may have better scenery, she told me she was staying in East Timor longer. She loved the country so much she even volunteered to do some charity work in Oecussi (enclave of East Timor). We ended up exchanging travel stories the rest of the night, although mine certainly were nowhere as adventurous as hers.

tree on the road to cristo rei

To be continued…

How to get there:
Dili, the capital of East Timor, is not as isolated as one may think. Direct flights are available from Singapore, a major transportation hub, as well as from Bali and Darwin, Australia. I took the flight from Bali which is usually the most economical option by air. Otherwise, the cheapest option – if you don’t mind traveling for several hours – is to land in Kupang, West Timor, Indonesia and take a long bus ride to Dili.

Primary Sidebar

Who Wanders Here?

Hi, I'm Bino, a part-time wanderer and a Singapore travel blogger In this site, I share with you my top travel tips. Along the way, I also provide travel guides to compelling destinations, recommendations on awesome food to try and impressive hotels to stay! Read More…